Collagen Benefits

Your Guide To Collagen

Collagen is often talked about as the solution for everything from aging skin to thinning eyelashes. If you’re considering adding collagen to your diet, you probably want to know what it is and what it does. Most importantly, if you’re going to spend money on a collagen supplement: will it be worth it? 

We decided to make it easy for you and put everything that you need to know in one place. Here’s what we think you need to know about collagen.

What is collagen?

Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in your body. A key component of your connective tissue, collagen supports structure, flexibility and strength. Collagen also makes up nearly 80 percent of our skin. Bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels and the digestive system all rely on collagen to function effectively and keep in shape. 

Why do people take collagen?

Collagen plays an important role in your body but as you age your body has less collagen available. Lifestyle factors such as smoking and sun exposure can speed the decline. By the time you reach sixty years of age most people are already experiencing the impact of a significant decrease in collagen production. This can include less flexibility in your joints and skin, less strength in bones, and even hardening of the arteries. 

Taking a collagen supplement is an effective way to boost the amount of collagen your body can access. Increasing your collagen levels helps your body to maintain the parts of your body that rely on collagen to function effectively. Collagen is key to your appearance, your mobility and your physical health.

What is the best way to take collagen?

If you’re planning to take a supplement it’s important to make sure that you take the right dose. To get the dose of collagen that you need for it to be effective, powder is best. Most people start with a teaspoon a day and adjust their dosage to suit their needs.

Powder also comes with the benefit of being easy to measure and easy to use. When you choose marine collagen powder you can accurately measure the perfect amount into delicious soups, hot drinks and baking.

How does a collagen supplement work?

The collagen stores available in your body reduce as you age, making it harder to keep your skin smooth and your joints flexible. Collagen supplements can boost your reserves, making more collagen available to help all the areas of your body that rely upon it.

Hydrolysed collagen is broken down into small molecules, called peptides, that pass easily through the intestinal walls. Fish collagen peptides are smaller and therefore easier to digest. Once inside your body the collagen peptides deliver support where it is needed. 

Dalton weight is one of the most important factors when considering what collagen you should take. The lower the weight, the more bioavailable the collagen is and the easier it is for your body to absorb it. Simply Collagen is 2,000 Daltons, so you need less of it compared to most other collagens on the market. When you see companies recommending up to 10,000 grams of collagen per day, this is usually because their Dalton weights are higher and you need to take a lot more to receive the same effect. Always ask this question before deciding on what collagen to buy!

What are the different types of collagen?

There are at least twenty-eight different varieties of collagen of which three have been identified as being particularly useful in the human body. Type 1 is found in skin, bone and blood vessel walls. This type makes up 90 percent of your body’s collagen. Type 2 is found in the cushioning tissues of your joints, between your bones. Type 3 is found in muscles, blood vessels and organs. 

Where does the collagen come from in collagen supplements?

All collagen supplements use different sources. If you’re considering using a collagen supplement it’s important to read the small print and understand exactly what you’re paying for and how effective it is likely to be.  

Fish collagen can be sourced from either marine (sea) or freshwater (river) fish, these can be fished (caught in the wild) or farmed. Bovine (beef) collagen is extracted from the bones and skin of cattle. There are also some types of collagen that are made from chicken and in some cases egg shells. 

Fish collagen has smaller peptides and therefore one of the highest absorption levels.  Fish collagen is also sometimes preferred by people who want to avoid any risk from animal or bird diseases and viruses. Marine fish collagen (also known as marine collagen) also benefits from being protected from the impact of freshwater pollution.

Does collagen reduce joint pain?

Age and joint-related medical conditions such as osteoarthritis can reduce the natural lubrication that protects joints. This can cause unprotected bones to grind together which in turn causes joint pain and damage to cartilage.

Because healthy collagen levels are required to maintain your joints, increasing the collagen available to your body may help to prevent joint degeneration and reduce joint pain.

Can collagen improve skin health?

Collagen is essential for healthy skin. The amount of collagen in your body is also an important contributing factor to the appearance of your skin. 

As you age, your collagen stores decrease and your skin loses its flexibility. When you lose elasticity in your skin you get more fine lines and wrinkles leading to an older appearance. 

Increasing the amount of collagen in your body ensures that your skin has the chemical support it needs to stay healthy and look younger for longer. Collagen supplements may help you to: slow or lessen the impact of aging on your skin; improve the moisture levels and elasticity of your skin; reduce lines and wrinkles; reduce the depth of lines around your eyes; and reduce or improve the appearance of scarring.

Is collagen good for eczema?

Eczema can be caused by many different factors. One common factor is a reaction to an environmental allergen, made worse by a breakdown in the strength of the skin barrier. 

Strong skin forms a barrier that can protect your body from the harmful irritants in the environment that cause eczema. Having the right levels of collagen in your body may help you to strengthen your skin barrier. That means you may see an improvement in your eczema if you add a collagen supplement into your daily routine.

How does collagen help hair?

If you’re experiencing hair loss or thinning, you may want to find out more about the potential benefits that taking collagen could have on your hair. Collagen not only helps with skin, it may also help you to improve your hair, eyebrows and eyelashes too.

There can be a number of factors that contribute to hair loss, such as ageing, nutritional deficiencies, medical conditions (alopecia or eczema), and medical treatments such as (radiotherapy and chemotherapy). 

Collagen is connected to the material that hair is made of, as well the health of the skin and the hair follicle that your hair grows out of.  Ensuring your body has the right level of collagen can put your body in the best position to encourage hair to grow. Marine collagen may help your hair to grow faster, longer, thicker and stronger. 

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As you get older your collagen production decreases. Young skin starts to get fine lines and become wrinkled. Joints stiffen and movement becomes more restricted. Hair growth slows and eyebrows and lashes become thinner and less defined. 

Taking a collagen supplement gives your body access to the essential collagen that it needs. Simply Collagen is a New Zealand based business providing high quality hydrolysed marine collagen powder, sourced from the Atlantic Ocean. Marine Collagen is one of the cleanest and highest quality collagen supplements available. 

Start your collagen journey today